Varg Vikernes has been arrested for 'terrorism' in France

There can be great value in keeping a low profile, and keeping your mouth shut.

That seems to be the case in today's world. It took me a while to grow up and accept this. Even if you honestly believe in the constitution and all that American bullshit about "rights", "free expression", ect, it doesn't mean shit in the face of reality. I might still believe in some of this stuff, but I realize that it takes more than a piece of paper and a childish sense of entitlement to protect me from my enemies.

Perhaps its time to let go of that adolescent mentality and actually respect the enemy. These are people that actually want you dead. This may be why punk failed. Metal triumphs over punk because it recognizes the adversary as a force to be reckoned with, not as some kid that should be sent to the corner.

Perhaps its time to let go of that adolescent mentality and actually respect the enemy.

This. People tend to ignore actual practice and stop treating whatever they fear as real people - capable of honor and pride - who have a survival agenda of their own. From here stems the whole self-victimizing approach of the "we were somehow wronged, therefore we demand compensation" sort.

This whole "liberal cultural marxist PC stooges are repressing freedom" whining really reminds me of the usual liberal cultural marxist PC "The Man wants us silenced and obedient". Stop being myopic and just accept the fact that you might just be a routine security check.

That's what is most terrifying about it. They don't like dissent; liberalism isn't dissent... it's not from an ideological basis, but more like a profit and loss sheet. If you run a cafe, you don't want people disturbing the peace there. You want nothing but unmitigated sales of goods and services and thus $$$.

Arresting someone because of paranoiac suspicion looks good to what kind of person?*

*The best answer I can come up with is, "the kind of person that defers to authority's judgment," and while that is not a bad thing, it is also not a good thing, so tell me what you think happened in this instance and what good or bad could come of it.

I did tell you what I think has happened my friend. It looks good to the citizens, the average voter, if the authorities their tax money goes towards are checking people like Varg out. I didn't pass judgement over whether this is a good thing, or a bad thing. Don't be so obtuse.

Anyone who thinks this was an honest attempt at "defending national security" is naive.

He was imprisoned for his views. That's why it's a big deal.

He hasn't been 'imprisoned', he is just in custody. He hasn't been charged. He's just been arrested. If they throw him in jail for some crime, then you guys have justification for believing the conspiracy line.

Until then we have no justification for thinking otherwise than this: the French state views him as some guy with links to perceived extremism, with a DEMONSTRATED history of violence and murder, who has made 'extremist' remarks, who has previously been arrested trying to skip prison in a car loaded to the nines with weapons, and who has just bought a whole bunch of guns in their country. It is THIS SIMPLE. And this is a descriptions of the situaiton, not a value judegement of it!!

What a snide, slavish, and utterly useless comment. Of course you think such 'revelation' is good, because then you don't have to address the issues anymore, you can just cry 'liberal' and avoid engaging with another human being. Build your wall sunny jim, build it higher.

Very few of you characters are 'admirable', from my perspective Not that there's anything wrong with that. This probably isn't a site that is very concerned with such things. But the possibly less-than-admirable approach of one, is no reason for reciprocation, given the way these things quickly grow into ravenous monsters.

The description of the situation may be value judgment-free, but please reveal the value judgment as well or you will confuse your fellows, who happen to be human beings. If Varg ends up freed without incident, and is left unmolested (barring him actually doing something crazy) in the future, you can probably safely say it was just a safety precaution by the misguided. I mean they genuinely believe `white racists are the real criminals` after Breivik right?

For some strange, odd, weird reason I dont think that is the reality of it, he is being molested for his views. People dont function head-first, they function heart-first, and just the source of their attentions can reveal volumes about them. Add that in to the ideology and history of the current French establishment and it is clear this is a views-first, actions-second thing. The guns are an excuse.

Very few of you characters are 'admirable', from my perspective Not that there's anything wrong with that. This probably isn't a site that is very concerned with such things. But the possibly less-than-admirable approach of one, is no reason for reciprocation, given the way these things quickly grow into ravenous monsters.

Nomnomnom -> vomit.

Surely it is a reason to reciprocate, to stampt it out, just like you're doing now... I've been around these forums for a long time, and I don't see why people like me should not be able to call people out on making snide, and generally unproductive comments on a thread, like calling people 'closet liberals' for stupid reasons. I would think we're aiming to avoid such a forum these days.

What result are you hoping for? What are the chances of things turning out as you would like? Stamping things out can be unexpectedly difficult, once they get established. The responsible alien avoids combat when he can. Not because he can not fight, but because he may be discovered to be an alien, and then everyone will attack him, whether or not he ever had a point, a right, or a justification.

Aliens probably have it easier than us, though. They reputedly have no emotions.

Arresting someone because of paranoiac suspicion looks good to what kind of person?*

*The best answer I can come up with is, "the kind of person that defers to authority's judgment," and while that is not a bad thing, it is also not a good thing, so tell me what you think happened in this instance and what good or bad could come of it.

I did tell you what I think has happened my friend. It looks good to the citizens, the average voter, if the authorities their tax money goes towards are checking people like Varg out. I didn't pass judgement over whether this is a good thing, or a bad thing. Don't be so obtuse.

Alright, fair word. I shouldn't have expected the answer I wanted by asking that kind of question, so I'll just skip to asking for the answer that I wanted; Why do people, the citizens, and average voters who pay taxes, think that this looks good? I am sincerely asking for information because I lack any. I don't know anyone in France, and don't have any clear idea of what the general voter population's views on national security might be.

I ask because I'd like to compare France's reaction to this sort of thing to the way the US might react to the same sort of government action.

Officials say Vikernes will have to answer charges of incitement to racial hatred over the content of some of his writings on the internet

I have never understood this charge, shouldnt you need to actually have some aggrieved member of the race that is supposedly being hated on file a police report or something? The authorities can just do this unilaterally? Its almost as if they were the aggrieved party, which cant be right, because they are not... oh...

Edit: `Now that we have established in the minds of the public that he is a potential terrorist, on to business`